14 Exciting Truths Revealed About Lucy Liu

2. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

3. In 2008, she starred in an ABC comedy-drama, Cashmere Mafia, which ended after one abbreviated season.

4. The show was one of only a few American television shows to have an Asian American series lead.

5. Lucy Liu was born on December 2, 1968 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York.

6. Liu has stated that she grew up in a diverse neighborhood.

7. She learned to speak Mandarin at home and began studying English when she was 5. She later enrolled at New York University and transferred to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

8. Liu was discovered by an agent at the age of 19 while traveling on the subway.

9. Although she had originally tried out for only a supporting part, Liu was cast in the lead role.

10. Liu had small roles in films and TV, marking her debut.

11. She was cast in both The X-Files in “Hell Money” and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in “The March to Freedom,” before landing a role on Ally McBeal.

12. Liu originally auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter , and the character Ling Woo was later created specifically for her.